Tatzu Nishi

ARATANIURANO, Tokyo
Private Asian Collection

This work is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity and a catalogue issued by ARATANIURANO 

This work is generally in good condition. The white border of the work has not been cropped and will be fixed by the artist after the sale. Please note that it was not examined out of its frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Tatzu Nishi was born in Japan in 1960 but left his native homeland to study and work in Germany since the 1980s. Nishi presents himself as a global artist and indeed, one can hardly find any traditional Japanese influences in his works. Using the medium of photography to document his artistic activities, the artist is most well- known for his architectural interventions on iconic buildings and statues from around the world by surrounding iconic landmarks with domestic spaces and opening them for public touring. Columbus Circle in New York and the Queen Victoria Statue in London, are among some of the most popular landmarks intervened by the artist. Critics have praised Nishi's works to provide an alternative way to read the city, allowing citizens to re-evaluate the hidden truth and meaning of public properties in their immediate environment. More importantly, unlike his contemporaries, Nishi's practice successfully breaks the boundary between pubic and private realm; although such iconic landmarks are public property, they are displayed in a domestic home setting. At the same time, although the space is private to a certain extent, it is but an artificially made public space. The Merlion Hotel from 2011 was especially created for the Singapore Biennale. In the work, Nishi was invited to "place" the iconic Singaporean landmark Merlion into a luxurious hotel room, in front of which lies a tempting double bed. He said, "I wanted to represent Singapore as a port city through several hotel rooms." From 1997 on, Nishi's interventionist artistic behavior seeks to reconnect metropolises with their citizens and for each intervention from around the world, a unique photographic record is created.